Horseshoe



May 19, GASH ET AL HORSESHOE Filed June 1, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 19,1936. G. GASH ET AL 2,043,533

HORSESHOE Filed June 1, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 19, 1936UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Godby, Caulfield,

Victoria, Australia Application June 1, 1933, Serial No. 673,860 InAustralia June 8, 1932 1 Claim.

The object of this invention is to provide a resilient horse shoeincluding a tread shaped to cover the entire bottom of a horses hoof andan elastic wall tapered to conform to the taper of a horses hoof andadapted to spring into contact therewith, said wall being provided onits inner surface with inwardly projecting protuberances formed integraltherewith, arranged to be pressed against the hoof by the contractileforce of said wall, and so engage the external surface of the hoof as toyieldingly oppose removal of the shoe therefrom, the opposition to suchremoval, affected conjointly by the contractile force of the wall andsaid protuberances, being sufficient to prevent accidental removal ofthe shoe. Said protuberances may be wedge-shaped, and the shoe may beformed by a mould and a core cooperating therewith.

A shoe according to the present invention may comprise a solid hardenedbase or tread portion.

The shoe is moulded of resilient material preferably rubber in suchmanner that on application of the shoe to the hoof of a horse the saidshoe may be sprung into position around said hoof and retained thereon.

Another important feature embodied in our invention is the means formaintaining the shoe in a desired position on the horses hoof, saidmeans preferably comprising a plurality of wedge like projections orprotuberances formed integral with and on the inside wall of the shoe,said projections being of a preferably resilient nature and preferablydownwardly inclined.

Other features are described hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which- Figure l is an elevation of a horse'shoof having the resilient shoe mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the resilient shoe with portion of the wallcut away.

Figure 3 is an underside plan view of the resilient shoe.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the resilient shoe.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the assembled mould.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the inside surface of the cover.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the mould with the cover removed and the corein position therein.

Figure 8 is an elevation of the metal core with the plastic compoundbase mounted thereon.

Figure 9 is a section elevation of the metal core with the plasticcompound base and plastic compound wall sections mounted thereon.

Figure 10 is a sectional elevation of the assembled mould carrying theplastic compound shoe ready for vulcanizing.

Figure 11 is an elevation of a metal core showing a modification ofembodying a metal plate between two sections of plastic compound, one ofwhich is partly cut away.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary detail elevation of the modified form offastening means.

Figure 13 is a sectional elevation of Figure 12.

According to one form of carrying our invention into practical effectthe improved horse shoe I4 which is preferably composed of a resilientmaterial such as rubber is either moulded or shaped so that on beingattached to the hoof I5 of the horse by any suitable means the resilientmaterial conforms to the external contour of the hoof l5 and is retainedin position thereon without fastening means formed separately from theshoe.

The base I6 of the shoe I4 is composed of a preferably resilientmaterial having a hardened or toughened surface so as to resist wearwhile the wall I! of the shoe I4 is of a resilient material preferablyrubber and extends upwardly to conform to the shape of a hoof I5 of ahorse when the shoe I4 is in the attached position thereon, the upperend of the shoe [4 terminating below the fetlock I8 of the horse.

The wall I! of the shoe I4 is inclined and substantially conforms to theshape of the hoof I5, the interior of the wall I! closely embracing theexterior surface of the hoof I5 which is thereby substantially coveredby the shoe I4.

In one means of forming the resilient shoe I4 as previously described apreferably aluminium mould I9 is employed having a detachable cover 20which may be held in position on the mould I9 by suitable meanspreferably by U-shaped clips 2I pivotally mounted to projecting lugs 22formed on the mould I9, the said clips 2I being adapted to engage withcorresponding lugs 23 formed on the cover 20 of the mould I9 to maintainsaid cover 20 in a determined position upon the mould I9 duringoperation, dowel pins 24 being disposed on the cover 29 and adapted toregister with corresponding openings 25 in the upper edge of the mouldI9 to determine the correct position of the cover 20 in relation to themould I9.

Incorporated within the mould I9 is a detachable core 26 of a shapecorresponding to a horses hoof I5, the interior of the mould I9corresponding in shape to the exterior of the core 26 but of a largerdimension to permit the entry of the core 26 having the plastic compoundsections from which the shoe I4 is comprised mounted thereon.

Suitable means are provided for maintaining the core 26 in a setposition within the mould I9; said means preferably comprising setscrews 21 adapted to pass through openings in the bottom of the mould I9and engage with tapped holes 28 in the adjacent face of the core 26.

Disposed around the inclined face of the core is a plurality ofindentations 29 of desired formation preferably wedge shaped in order toprovide the interior of the wall H of the finished shoe I4 withprojections 30 to form gripping means for maintaining the shoe I4 inposition on the horses hoof I5. Near one end of the core 26 is alsodisposed a circumferential groove 3| preferably V-shaped to provide theupper part of the wall I! of the shoe I4 with an internal V- shapedridge 32 for gripping purposes.

The top 33 of the core 26 is shaped to preferably correspond with theunderside of the horses hoof I5 whereas the inside surface 34 of thecover 20 is shaped to impart to the normal bottom of the plasticcompound from which the shoe is comprised, a configuration correspondingto the underside of the horses hoof I5 with or without the usual metalhorse-shoe or other design attached thereto.

In one manner of forming the resilient shoe I4 the base section I6 isfirstly formed from a plastic rubber compound of required thickness, thesection I6 being cut to the approximate shape of the normal top 33 ofthe core 26 and placed in the preferably aluminium mould I9 between thetop 33 of the detachable metal core 26 positioned therein and thedetachable cover 26 of the mould I 9, a required pressure is thenapplied to the cover 20 of the mould I9 resulting in the plastic rubbercompound base section I6 being given a desired formation as the top' 33of the core 26 is shaped to preferably correspond with the underside ofthe horses hoof I5 and the inside surface 34 of the cover 20 shaped toimpart to the normal bottom of the plastic compound section I6 aconfiguration corresponding to the underside of the horses hoof I5.

After the operation of forming the base I6 has passed through the firststep above described the cover 20 of the mould I9 is removed and thedetachable core 26 removed from the mould I9, the plastic compound baseI6 remaining in contact with the core 26 as illustrated in Figure 8. Oneor more suitable sections 35 (Figure 9) of plastic compound is or arethen applied around the inclined surface of the core 26 whichcorresponds to the shape of the horses hoof I5, the lower portion of thesections 35 being made to contact with the plastic base section I6 asillustrated in Figure 9 after which the core 26 is replaced in the mouldI 9 and made a fixture therein by the set screws 21 disposed in thebottom of the mould I9.

The cover 20 of the mould I9 is then placed in position so that thedowel pins 24 incorporated therein register with their respectiveopenings in the mould I9 and a pressure applied to the cover 20 toenable the U-shaped clips 2I to be engaged with the lugs 23 provided onthe cover 20 after which the applied pressure is released and the mouldI9 placed in a suitable vulcanizer where it is allowed to remain adesired period in order to carry out the operation of vulcanizing theshoe I4 after which time the shoe I4 is removed from the core 26 of themould I9.

The interior surface of the mould I9 has preferably a smooth finish inorder to provide the finished shoe with a polished like exteriorsurface.

In one modification of the invention as illustrated in Figures 11, 12and 13 the fastening means may comprise right angled clips 36 rotatablymounted in reinforcing plates 3'! embedded in the wall I! of the shoeI4, one on either side of the shoe I4, said clips 36 being insertedthrough the plate 31 from the interior of the shoe I4 and adapted to beoperated from the exterior of the shoe I4, suitable means being providedon the hoof I5 of the horse to receive the inner end of the clips 36,said means preferably comprising bars or strips 38 of metal mounted tothe hoof I5 and with which the clips 36 may be easily made to engage toensure the shoe I4 being firmly held to the hoof I5 of the horse.

In one means of forming the resilient shoe I4 to incorporate the abovementioned reinforcing plates 31 the core 26 has mounted thereon in adesired manner and in desired position projecting pins 39 over which asection 40 of plastic compound is placed when building up the wall I Iof the shoe I4 as previously described a reinforcing plate 31 of desiredformation is then positioned on the projecting pins 39 and a furthersimilar section M of plastic compound applied to the first positionedsection 40 resulting in the reinforcing plate 31' being disposed betweenthe two sections 40 and 4| of plastic compound as illustrated in Figures11 and 13, the lower portion of said sections 40 and M being made tocontact with the plastic compound base I6 and the operation of formingthe shoe I4 carried out in a similar manner to that previouslydescribed.

Obviously no nails are necessary with the shoe I4 which is retained inposition on the horses hoof I5 by either of the fastening means abovedescribed.

The resilient material of which the shoe is composed may compriserubber, a composition including rubber or rubber incorporating fabric orthe like and if desired the interior of the shoe may have an integralmaterial lining. The shoe shown by Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 is designatedas a whole by I4 and comprises the tread I6 shaped to cover the entirebottom of the hoof and having the upper surface shaped to conform to thefrog bottom of the hoof, and a resilient wall I! shaped to conform tothe external surface of a hoof I5, below the fetlock I8 and adapted tobe expanded to permit its application to the hoof and to spring orcontract into contact therewith.

The wall I! is provided on its inner surface with integral inwardlyprojecting compressible protuberances formed and arranged to be pressedagainst the hoof by the contractile force of the wall, and compressedagainst the hoof thereby to frictionally engage the external surface ofthe hoof and yieldingly oppose removal of the shoe, such removal beingalso yieldingly opposed by the contractile force of the wall. Saidprotuberances may include a plurality of spaced apart compressible lugs36 integral with the wall I'I, each lug having two faces meeting to forma compressible salient angle 39 As shown by Figure 4 there may be aplurality of spaced apart rows of lugs 30. elongated ridges 31, one ofwhich is shown by Figure 4. Said ridges extend substantially parallelwith the tread I6 and are spaced therefrom. Each ridge preferably hastwo inclined faces meeting to form a compressible elongated salient Theprotuberances may also include angle 31*. The spaced protuberances onthe tread l6, adapted to conform to the frog of the hoof, are designatedby 50, and in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The inwardly projecting lugs orprotuberances 30 and 31 are compressible and deformable by thecontraction of the resilient wall portion I! of the shoe on the taperedportion of the hoof I5, so that when the shoe is donned or operativelyapplied to the hoof said protuberances are compressed and deformed orflattened against the hoof, and provide the internal surface of the wallportion H with compressed areas in more pronounced, or stronger clingingcontact with the hoof than are the remaining and major internal surfaceportions of the wall H. The salient angles 30 and 3'! formed by themeeting faces of said lugs or protuberances yield and practicallydisappear when they are forced by the contraction of the wall portion ofthe shoe on the tapered portion of the hoof, the result being a strongerclinging pressure of the material of said lugs or protuberances on theportions of the hoof on which they bear than the pressure of the majorportions of the internal surface of the wall portion on the hoof, sothat while the shoe may be easily donned and doffed, accidentaldisplacement of the shoe is prevented.

We do not wish to be arbitrarily confined to the hereinbefore mentioneddetails since we may if necessary have to depart therefrom and while wehave described the essential characteristics of our invention we desireit to be understood that vavided on its inner surface with inwardlyprojecting compressible and deformable protuberances formed and arrangedto be pressed against the hoof by the contractile force of said wallportion, and compressed and deformed or flattened against the hoof toprovide the internal surface of the Wall portion with compressed areasadapted to cling to the hoof more strongly than the major portions ofsaid internal surf-ace, said major portions surrounding theprotuberances, said protuberances including elongated ridges extendingsubstantially parallel with the tread portion of the shoe and spacedtherefrom, each ridge having two faces meeting to form a compressibleand deformable salient angle extending lengthwise of the ridge, thearrangement being such that the shoe may be freely donned and doffed,and is confined against accidental displacement by said compressedareas.

GORDON GASH. CHARLES MICHAEL GODBY.

